Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-12-02
POLITICAL HISTORY.

| FULL HAL I1lS ~ Y.
Bro. Hull. do not be alarmed at the
rabid utterances in last weeks True
Republican. Aside from the idea that
unless you change your mind you are
branded as a liar, the article purports
to give snatches of political history in
Jerauld county. From it we learn that
there are "but two factions in Jerauld
county, the one headed by l.. n. Loom
is and the other by Il. l.. Blank; that
the mechanical genius of the True Re-
publican is mot mortgaged" to L. n.
LOOMS nor pays him SO per cent" that
no one party faction should be blamed
for Mr., Williams mistakes, that his
first political friends arenow "denounc-
ing him." that T. l.. Blank after being
"defeated in his candidacy for Register
Of Deeds in the regular Republican
convention headed bolters ticket
with Mr.. Williams; and that Mr.. Will
hams errors can be charged to TO one
except himself or perhaps the "lenien-
cy" of the cold board of county COM
missioners." If there are but two fac
lions in our county what becomes CT
the democratic organization Does it
act Independent and alone or does it
affiliate with the Loomis faction? Sure
ly the latter, as is evidenced by the con-
vention Of 1886 where some of the del
efyates we're not republicans and many
had been sent tn ere by the aid of dem
ocratic voters at the primaries, and
then this fall they imported some Of
the democratic bosses from Blaine
township to aid in the election OF COM
missioner Grant. 1t should be borne
in mind that T. L. Blank never asked
, for nomination in any regular re-
publican convention" in Jerauld county
}; and that Mr.. Williams was the "bolter'
in 1884 and secured his election by the
rso of Republican tickets containing
) his name instead OF that of Mr.. Peirce
the regular nominee. During that
I, term of office Mr.. Williams became
: the tool OF the ring who took him ul
as their candidate IN 1886, and had they
shown half the zeal or interest in his
welfare as they did in his election Mr.
Williams would not have fallen into
:, the errors that marked his later admin
= istration. Should these errors b,
charged UP against the cold board O
{ county commissioners" to whom would
+ they belong? Certainly not to tn,
a first, the appointed, board, consisting
5 of Messrs Smart, Melcher and Fisher
> We know front personal knowledg,
= that every cent was accounted for, dur
ing that year, by Mr. Williams. Th'
!, next year, 1855, Messrs Fisher, Sullivan
and Wilson composed the board, in 1885,
/, Messrs Sullivan, Wilson and Knudtsol
t constituted the board. In 1887 Nh
y Sickler replaced MIR. Sullivan. So tn
n 'ol1 board referred to as being tn
$ "lenient ones: must have been Messr
Fisher, knudtson, Wilson and Sullivan
s So it should be distinctly understood
j. that if any boards of commissioner
o were "lenient" towards Mr. William
4 it was those Of 1885, and 1886 composed
Of the last named; gentleman. Tn,
True Republican says it is in favor o
T. an "unprejudiced" investigation of the
y financial condition OF the county a
l. soon assthe tax of 1886 ID all collected
l What il the name Of common sens
. has the collection Of that tax got to d
with the shortage in Mr. Williams &C
e, counts. The Irregularities arc not ii
y the amounts to be collected but Ii
S those that were collected by hIr. VIII
!, liams before, she went away. 1t nov
t. transpires that certain members OF tn
LOOMS faction knew Of Mr.. Williams
3, shortage months before he left. We
:, nothing WAS giTen to the public. AN
- why there has not been a thorough in
= vestigation made and given to TIE TAI
y payers is not quite slear, but If tn
truth was known it might be clear an,
- the same thing explain the motive C
Messrs LOOMS and Co. in their zeal
s Gus efforts to elect Mr.. Grant as com
l. missioner in the End district. If Ger
Z tain business men Of this place wer
o aware OF the reports concerning thei
l. connection with the affair, it seems t
u rs that they would certainly favor
'horon"h Investigation